Universal tractor.



0. D. BOWLES.

UNIVERSAL TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 19. I912.

Patented May 29, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

nowiio'v 0. n. BOWLES. UNIVERSAL TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I9, I912. I LQWWMW Patented May 29, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l rename.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Oscar D. Bowms, a

citizen of the United States, residing, at

Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented certain new, and useful Improvements 1n Un1versal Tractors; and I do declare the following tion illustratingthe construction of the uni-- to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable ethers skilled in the art to which it appertams to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. 7 This invention relates to a universal tractor and has for its object to provide a device of this kind upon which power is supplied to all four 0 the wheels of the tracr. A further object of the invention is to provide a very simple and eficient construction for applying the power to. the wheels and which will allow all the wheels to be driven when the same are the body of the tractor, for turning or for steering the machine.

With this object in view the invention consists in the novel construction of the means for applying power to all four of the Wheels simultaneously and in the universal joints which: allow all the Wheels to be driven while in the position of turning the machine or steering the same. I The invention also consists in certain other novel details of construction and in combinations of parts, all of which will be at an angle to first fully described and afterward specifically pointed out in'the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

'gure 1 is a plan view of a universal tractor constructed in accordance with this invention.

gig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine, an

Fig. 3 is an end elevation partly in secversal joint.

Like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several figuresin which;

1 indicates the machine which comprises the body 2, wheels 3, 4, 5 and 6.

7 indlcates a motor'and 8 and 9 are the i=1 AL TEAGTOR.

fipecifloation of Letters Patent.

as when in position e a name, nrnran'a.

Patented May at, 11am.

hpplicatlonflledd'anuarym,1912. Serial no. evaoea.

driving shafts extending longitudinally of the machine and driven by the motor 7.

At each end of the machine is arranged a differential gear 10 and 11 which is housed within a suitable casing 12. Upon the outer end of each of the driving shafts 8 and 9 is arranged a beveled gear 13, which beveled gear meshes with a larger beveled gear 14 facing at right angles to the axis of the former. Extending from the inner face of the beveled gear 14: are two studs or webs 15 in which is mounted a shaft 16. Carried on said shaft 16 are two beveled gears 17 and 18, which beveled gears are freely rotatable on the said shaft and mesh with similar beveled gears 19 and 20 secured on the transverse driven shafts 21 and 22.

23 indicates a universal joint which is connected to the driven shafts 21 and 22 as will appear from Fig. 3, the axles 24E of the wheels being also connected to the universal joints in such manner that said axles rotate with the said universal joint, the wheels of the tractor being rigidly secured to the axles 24 so as to rotate therewith.

The outer members 25 of the housing of the joints 23 are formed to provide carriers 26,- which carriers extend upwardly and around the wheels and are provided with openings 27 to receive the outer ends of the axles 24. Additional arms 28 of the carriers formed upon the outer members 25 of, and at right angles to the joint housing, extend horizontally and around the wheels oining the arms 29 of the carrier 26. The preferable construction'is to form the outer member 25 housing the universal joint 23 integral withboth arms 28 and 29 of the carrier 26, which construction is extremely strong and rigid and is not liable to derangement or breakage. It will also be seen that' the parts shown and described and 1' con.- sider myself clearly entitled to all such changes and modifications as fall within the scopeof the appended claims. v 1 What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:-

1. A device of the character described including wheel axles, carriers for said whee axles each carrier comprism dual U-shaped mem ers, one of which mem rs 1s disposed vertically and the other horlzontally w1th relation to the said axles such manner as to provide wheel guards m the direction of movement of the device, each wheel axle carrier being provided with a socket forming extension, which extensions are provlded with pivoting studs for pivotally supportin the sai wheel axle carriers, motor drlven shafts, universal joints between said wheel axles and said shafts, the outer member of each of said universal joints being provided with a semispherical enlargement to be received in one of said socket forming extensions the whole arranged in such manner that the said socket forming extensions provide bearings for the said outer members of the universal joints and further prevent outward endwise movement of said outer mamas I members ot-said universal joints substaniiall as described and for the purposes set ort 2. A device of the character described, in-

eluding wheel axle carriers, each carrier being provided with a socket forming extenslon, said extensions belng provided with.

. pivotingstuds for pivotally supporting the said carriers, motor drivm shafts, wheel axles, the inner end of each wheel axle being provided with an enlargement and forming onemember of a universal joint, the other member of the universal joint' being formed on the outer end of: each motor driven shaft,

OSCAR n-BOWLES.

my signature Witnesses:

S. K. DUVALL, MAY M. PAnnocK, 

